Valve



June 10, 1941. R, w. scorr ETAL vALvE 'Filed June 27, 1938 INVENTORS. RAY M. Sc OTT BY firvoesw 6. Mc COLL uM Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE Application June 27, 1938, Serial No. 215,985

Claims. This invention relates to valves and more particularly to combined mixing and cut-oi! valves. 7

One 01' the objects of the invention is to provide a valve which automatically regulates the flow oi fluids at diflerent temperatures to provide a mixture at a predetermined temperature and which also serves to cut oil the flow of fluid. Preierably the automatic control is eiiected by a thermostat responsive to the temperature 0! the mixed fluids.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined mixing and cut-oil valve in which a single valve element serves both to control the mixing and to cut oi! the flow. According to one desirable arrangement the valve element is rotated to eflect one control and is shiited axially to efl'ect the other.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a combined mixing and cut-oi! valve in which the mixingis controlled automatically by a thermostat and the cut-oi! is controlled electrically through a solenoid or the like. According to one ieature oi the invention the thermostat rotates a valve element to control the mixing and both the thermostat and the valve element are shifted axially by the solenoid to cut all and turn on the flow.

Other objects, advantages, and novel ieatures oi the invention will be apparent from the iollowing description or the accompanying drawing. in which:

Figure 1 is a central section through a valve embodying the invention; and

Figure 2 is a section on the oiiset line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The valve illustrated is particularly adapted to control the admission or water to an automatic washing machine and serves both to shut oi! the water and to proportion the hot and cold water to provide a mixture at a desired predetermined temperature.

The valve comprises an elongated tubular body It formed adjacent one end with axially spaced series of hot and cold water inlet ports i2 and II. A block it surrounds the body it and is formed with annular cavities registering respectively with the ports I! and II and with inlet nipples i8 and 2|. A base member 22 is secured on the end of the body and serves as a mounting therefor, the body it preferably being arranged with its axis vertical.

A tubular valve sleeve 24 is slidably and rotatably mounted in the body it and has spaced series of openings 2! and 28 adapted to register respectively with the ports I2 and it. As best seeninFigureztheports II and Handtheopenings It and it are arranged in staggered rela-- tionship so that when one set 0! ports is fully opened the other is fully closed. Normally each set of ports is partially open.

The valve sleeve 24 is controlled by a coiled thermostatic strip ll of bimetal or the like connected at one end to the sleeve through a rod 82 and a spider 34. The strip it lies in the body ll between the inlet ports and an outlet port 10 adjacent the upper end of the body. The upper end or the strip 3. is secured to a rod it carried by a member 40 loosely mounted in the body and held against rotation therein by a Pin 42 having its ends slidable inslots or grooves 44. By this means the upper endoi the strip is held against rotation but may be slid axially oi the body.

The parts are held in the on or operating posi- 565 shown in Figure l by a magnetizable core 46 of iron or the like connected to the pin 42' and slidable in an extension 4. ol the valve body. A solenoid coil II is wound around the extension 40 and is enclosed in a suitable housing l2. Any desired automatic or manual switch, not shown, may be provided to control the coil II.

In use the nipples It and II are connected to suitable sources oi. hot and cold water or other fluid and the outlet nipple It is connected to a device, such as a washing machine, to which mixed fluid is to be supplied. II the coil II is energized the core I will be raised to raisemember ll, strip it and sleeve 24 to a position in which the openings It and It register with the ports I2 and It as shown inl igure 1. At this time water will flow through the body II and out the port It, the water becoming thoroughly mixed in its passage through the body.

The strip Iii deflects in response to variations in temperature tending either to unwind -or to wind up tighter depending on the direction of variation and turns the sleeve 24 to change the relative eiiective areas or the ports I! and It. In the particular example shown the strip unwinds in response to an increase in temperature to throttle the hot water ports l2 and open the cold water ports I! to provide a cooler mixture. It will be understood that the strip It can be designed and adjusted to produce any desired temperature of the mixture.

When the flow of water is to be cut oil entirely the coil 50 is de-energized, permitting the core 40, strip 30 and sleeve 24 to drop down under the influence of gravity. This moves the openings 26 and It out of register with the ports I! and i4 and shuts off the flow oi fluid into the valve body.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail it will be understood that numerous changes might be made therein and it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the exact form shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined mixing and cut-off valve comprising a hollow valve body having spaced ports for inlet of fluids to be mixed and an outlet port for the mixed fluid, a valve member movably mounted in the body and having spaced portions to control said ports, thermostatic means in the body responsive to the temperature of the mixed fluids to move said valve in one direction to control the relative opening of the inlet ports and electrical means to move the thermostatic means and the valve member as a unit in a direction to close and open all of the inlet ports.

2. A combined mixing and cut-oil valve comprising a hollow valve body having spaced ports for inlet of fluids to be mixed and an outlet port for the mixed fluid, a valve member slidably and rotatably mounted in the body and having spaced portions to control said ports, thermostatic means inthe body responsive to the temperature of the mixed fluids to rotate said valve to control the relative opening of the inlet ports, and electrically operated means to slide the thermostatic means and the valve member bodily in a direction to close and open all of the inlet ports.

3. A combined mixing and cut-off valve comprising a tubular valve body having axially spaced inlet ports adjacent one end and an outlet port adjacent its other end, a tubular valve member slidably and rotatably mounted in said one end of the body and having axially spaced openings adapted to register with the inlet ports, a thermostat in the body connected to the tubular member to rotate it to vary the relative opening of the inlet ports, a magnetizable core connected to the thermostat, and a coil carried by the body around the core to shift the core, the thermostat and the tubular member as a unit axially of the body simultaneously to open and close all of the inlet ports.

4. A combined mixing and cut-oil valve comprising a tubular valve body having axially spaced inlet ports adjacent one end and an outlet port adjacent its other end, a tubular valve member slidably and rotatably mounted in said one end of the body and having axially spaced openings adapted to register with the inlet ports, a thermostat in the body connected to the tubular member to rotate it to vary the relative opening of. the inlet ports, a magnetizable core connected to the thermostat, and a coil carried by the body around the core to shift the core, the thermostat and the tubular member as a unit axially of the body simultaneously to open and close all of the inlet ports, said body being arranged vertically whereby the core, the thermostat and the tubular member move downwardly under the influence of gravity and said coil serving when energized to raise the core.

5. A combined mixing and cut-off valve comprising a. tubular valve body having axially spaced inlet ports adjacent one end and an outlet port adjacent its other end, a tubular valve member slidably and rotatably mounted in said one end of the body and having axially spaced openings adapted to register with the inlet ports, a member slidably but non-rotatably mounted adjacent said other end of the body, a coiled thermostatic strip core connected to said last named member, and a,

coil carried by the body around said core to shift the core axially thereby to open and close all of the inlet ports simultaneously.

RAY W. SCOT'I'. ANDREW O. MCCOLLUM. 

